Usually when you hear about a tech company CEO in the news, you think the worst in people. What positive, ‘for the people’ messaging could a man estimated at 2.4 BILLION dollars have to say that I’m going to agree with? It’s a pessimistic approach to read the news, but that’s usually how the news is. Well, the other day was curiously different.
Drew Houston, co-founder and CEO of Dropbox, didn’t share a run-of-the-mill opinion concerning vaccinations within his company (which he most definitely does have), but instead took a more progressive stance to the times we are living in, and more specifically the company he owns 25% of.
"I see the 40-hour office workweek — an artifact of factory work — finally becoming a thing of the past," Houston told CNN in a recent interview. Looking at the world of mobile and cloud technology, combined with work productivity free of being constantly monitored, Houston seems to look welcoming to change, adopting an unconventional idea and hopefully reaping the benefits from it.
"The workplace will now be wherever work happens, and the workweek will be whenever work happens best for each person," Houston opines. While the option isn’t possible for every job out there, many in our industry stand to be greatly affected if this becomes standard. Is it too early to start imagining what that world looks like?
With no obligation to report to an office, what will the purpose of renting an office be? It’s tough to consider a world without department birthday parties and casual Fridays, but they may be in the rear view. More importantly, with a non-existent commute and the option of a flexible work schedule for every employee’s individual needs, what is to stop more companies from following suit? If there is success, there are sure to be followers.
The 2,400+ employees of Dropbox have all worked from home since October of 2020. Not every company can be like Dropbox, but there’s always a start. And if CEOs can be in the news for promoting a progressive work culture that could potentially benefit all of it’s employees, one truly can start wrapping your head around a fully remote work life.